


3's A Charm I: De Nova

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-05
Updated: 2002-02-05
Packaged: 2018-11-20 17:46:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11340303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: The three agents realize their feelings for each other and need to confront them something that turns quite interesting.





	3's A Charm I: De Nova

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

3's A Charm I: De Nova

## 3's A Charm I: De Nova

#### by Ocean Summers and Sage ONeil

Title: 3's A Charm I: De Nova  
Author: Ocean Summers and Sage ONeil  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website:   
Status: Complete  
Category: Romance  
Pairing (Primary): Mulder/Scully/Krycek  
Pairing(s) (Secondary):   
Crossover Fandom (if any):   
Crossover Info (if any):   
Other Pairing Info:   
Rating: NC-17  
Spoilers:   
Permission to Archive:   
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes: PLEASE READ FIRST - To read this story you need to keep and open mind to extreme possibilities. Not only do you need to accept homosexuality but you must be able to see Krycek as an innocent man. In here, he's no rat guy and if you can't live with that, don't say we didn't warn you. If you're an opponent to homosexual relationships and intimate situation between two individuals of the same sex stop right here. If you're not. hope you Enjoy! Thanx to The Emu and Elisabeth who have been to great help in the making of this story and who deserves a lot of credit for it. You've both been amazing.  
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to Chris Carter and FOX Network, you know the drill.  
Summary: The three agents realize their feelings for each other and need to confront them something that turns quite interesting.

* * *

3's A Charm: De Nova  
by Ocean Summers and Sage O'Neil 

From his seat in the back, he had a perfect view over her. The red hair rested on her shoulders as she sat, comfortable behind the wheel. He was impressed with her calm as she drove in the snowstorm. You could hardly see the road up front, yet she kept herself and the car on track. He was glad that he had been asked to come but a little surprised they'd thought of him. 

The partnership with Mulder had ended too soon. Working with such an intelligent agent was an honor and during the time they had worked together, he had become a much better agent himself. There was something about Mulder he just couldn't resist, something he couldn't explain. 

Then there was Scully. He hadn't known all that much about her and the little time he'd spent with her before the abduction had been too short and too professional. At some point he had even been jealous of her, of her and Mulder's relationship -- not that the feelings had lasted very long; she wasn't the kind you could dislike, not for long. 

When she had been returned and reassigned to Mulder, he had to admit that he had been hurt. But at the same time he wouldn't dream of denying Mulder that. No one deserved it more. 

Since he and Mulder had become close during the time of her abduction, it was natural for them to continue their friendship, even after her return. Mulder was very serious when he let him know how much he had appreciated his support in his time of need. After that, he had found himself drifting toward the basement more and more as time went by. 

That was how he had noticed her. 

Dana Scully. He didn't know where to start, nor where to end. At first, she had been special to him only in that she was special to Mulder, but it didn't take too long until he began to see her in a different light. He kept expecting her to start to irritate him, and in turn to start to dislike her, but she didn't and as the days went by, he became to like her more and more. It was probably safe to say that he'd never been this enchanted by anyone in his entire life. Before he had had the time to catch up, he had to face the inevitable; he was in love with her as well. 

"Hey, have you fallen asleep back there?" Mulder said, turning his head to look at him. 

"No," Krycek replied. 

"You're awfully quiet." Scully smiled, meeting his gaze in the rear-view mirror. 

Krycek returned the smile, not sure of what to say. Something that had caught his interest, and kept it, were her eyes. Her eyes were the clearest, most beautiful shade of blue he had ever seen in a woman. They broke in harmony with her red hair, and every time her eyes met his, he found himself almost unable to breathe. 

"Believe it or not, Scully, I think the boy has a crush on you," Mulder joked, pronouncing the words separate with a southern accent. 

Against his will, Krycek blushed, turning his head to look out the window in hope that the cold outside would help him to cool off. 

"Mulder!" Scully laughed, giving his arm a gentle nudge. "You're making him uncomfortable." She glanced in the rear-view mirror again, and caught him looking right back at her again. 

She didn't understand why she was reacting like this, but there was something enigmatic about him, especially his eyes. They could be so cold and yet so tender. She had to admit that she hadn't expected Mulder to trust him, not as quickly like he had. There was something special between them, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. 

Eventually, Krycek fell asleep in the back seat, his head leaning against the window. After a while, Scully noticed both of them dozing peacefully, drifting away to dreamland and devouring every minute of the peace, so quiet and warm. She mused that this was a peace and quiet she could get addicted to. 

* * *

Half an hour later, they reached the cabin, parking the car outside. Tons of snow surrounded them, and civilization seemed to be miles away. Mulder frowned and forced himself into the snowstorm after Krycek and Scully got out of the car, folding his headgear over his head as he walked to the trunk to help carry the bags. 

It was still a little chilly inside the cabin. Scully hurried to adjust the thermostat, knowing it would take a while until the place was properly heated. The place belonged to one of the Scully's, and it was big, bigger than Mulder had expected, although he knew the Scully family was quite large. The walls were of timber as well as the floor and it pretty much looked like a larger-than-expected hunter's cabin. 

"It'll take a couple of hours until it's completely warm in here," Scully explained, rubbing her hands together. "We can make a fire and hurry the heating up that way," she suggested, making her way to the storage for wood. 

Krycek joined her to help as Mulder opened the flue of the fireplace. A couch and a table faced the hearth. In front, where Scully and Krycek were sitting to stock the wood, was a hide of a big old bear. The fur looked as though it had seen better years -- certainly the bear had. 

Mulder turned around, almost bumping into the decoration on the wall, something coppery and furry. Lifting his gaze, he found himself looking at a fox, its face twisted in a tormented expression. 

"Hey, Scully, I didn't know you disliked me this much," he joked. 

Scully smiled ruefully and looked at the smaller animal. 

"My father's work," she explained. "Missy and I always complained about his hobby, and this was his final catch." 

He nodded slowly, watching her look at the animal next to him. There were a lot of memories of Ahab in the cabin, and he was glad she could share it with him, that it was comfortable for her to do so. He could imagine a younger Dana Scully begging her father to spare the animal's life, trying to save the fox, and he realized that she hadn't changed that much. 

* * *

By the time the darkness settled around them, the cabin was warm. Scully was curled up in the corner of the couch, reading from a file -- never wasting a minute, that was Scully -- and Mulder and Krycek were typing on their laptops. The only sound was the slapping of fingers against the keyboard and the fire crackling as the flames rose to the chimney. Outside, the snow was still falling, more calm now as the storm stilled. Scully stretched out on the couch and sighed in delight. This was life in its true meaning. 

Putting the file on the side table, she glanced over at Mulder and Krycek, both engrossed in their reports, neither aware of her gaze. 

Up to a couple of weeks ago, she had believed that there could never be anybody else than Mulder in her heart that the extent wasn't enough for anybody else. But now things looked different. 

Mulder had been her best friend for so long, her ally. She would do anything for him and never regret it. It only took to know him to fall in love with him, and she knew him, better than anyone. She knew his honesty, his kindness and his life force. She even knew and cherished those things that were dubious about him, the way he ran off on her without telling her where he was going, because even that was in some way thoughtful of him. 

Then came Krycek, with his kind eyes, his shy look and sweet smile, knocking the wind out of her. The two men were by no means identical, that wasn't the issue. They were different in spirit as well as in looks, but still not. She knew that Mulder liked Krycek, that he had trusted him as his partner and friend. At first she had been jealous, knowing Mulder didn't take trust lightly, but later she had accepted this new friend of his, glad that he had been able to find someone else to rely on when she wasn't there. 

Not that she hadn't been skeptical about it. The first thing she did was to find out everything that she could about Alex Krycek, terrified that he wasn't who he appeared to be, someone who was going to not be worthy of Mulder's regard. But she found nothing out of the ordinary, even though she went to extreme measures to find out anything suspicious. Then she met him a couple of times, even spoke to him on occasions, learning what a true and honest man he was. It wasn't anything you could easily pretend to be and Scully was the kind of woman with a sense for these kinds of things -- although she would have denied it to her dying breath. 

Finally, that day in the basement, when Krycek had come by to pick up his things, she met his eyes. From that day, it was almost as if he had cast a spell on her, because she could just as little get him off her mind as she could shake Mulder from that place she knew he shouldn't be in. 

She sighed again, this time more troubled. She threw her legs over the edge of the couch to a sitting position. Mulder saved his report and turned off the computer as he heard her move. They had been working far too long, and he could feel his eyelids dropping from time to time, telling him he ought to rest. 

"I'm going to call it a day now," he said aloud, flexing his tensed fingers. 

Krycek raised his gaze from the screen, looking a little puzzled. Mulder swallowed hard, trying to ignore how sexy he looked. 

"I still got some left here," Krycek said, smiling in a pained kind of way. 

Mulder rose as he looked at Scully, who was sitting up straight on the couch, staring at the wall absent-mindedly. He shifted his focus back to Krycek, who was attacking the computer again; truth to tell, he was a little worried about leaving the two of them alone. Realizing how absolutely ridiculous that was he forced such thoughts aside, giving his "good nights" before leaving. 

A couple of minutes later, Krycek turned off his computer as well. Her heart was beating faster by the time he sat on the couch next to her with a sigh. 

"All done?" she asked, making herself more comfortable. 

He nodded, leaning back. It felt good to sit in a soft couch after a few hours in a wooden chair. And the company wasn't all that bad either. She was looking at him, he could tell, watching her from the corner of his eye a while before meeting her gaze. And his eyes were trapped again. 

For a moment, Scully thought she could distinguish every single color in those beautiful eyes; somehow, they seemed to pronounce themselves. Then the next instant they blended together once more, giving him that look she was afraid she couldn't resist if put to the test. 

"It's a nice place you got here," he said, breaking the connection to look around. 

"Yeah," she agreed, scanning the familiar room to shake off her embarrassment. "It was my own little haven as a child." 

"Really?" Krycek sounded a little surprised. 

She continued to stare at a painting on the wall, afraid to meet his gaze again, knowing she'd be lost. 

"We always moved around, since my father was in the Navy. Every place meant new faces, new settlements. This place always stayed the same. My one solid ground." 

The couch moved as he made himself more comfortable, all the while watching her as she spoke. 

"You came here a lot?" 

"Not really. Maybe once a year, but it was enough to give me that feeling of belonging -- you know." 

To her surprise, she saw him nod. It wasn't really a question, and even if it had been, she didn't expect him to understand. But then again, she didn't know all that much about his childhood. 

He noted her reaction. "My parents were Cold War immigrants," he told her, regarding his hands as she turned to look at him. "We moved a lot." 

She nodded already knowing that he was from Russia. It was nice to hear him say so; it strengthened her sense of his honesty. 

"It's like living your life without getting to know who you really are," he continued. "Because you don't get time to think about it with everything else changing around you. I didn't feel complete until later, when I had moved away from home and demanded my own independence." 

It surprised her that they were actually so alike. She recognized the truth of everything he had said. 

"Then you try to retrieve what you lost." 

"All at once," she filled in with a smile. "Like defying your parents." 

He laughed. 

"Yeah, until you really do find yourself." 

Smiling to themselves in silence, they watched the fire play along the walls inside the fireplace. The flames had died down, since they had not bothered to add any more wood. Scully remembered a time so long ago, when she used to sit here with her beloved Ahab until the fire turned to a glowing hot mass. They used to sit up for hours after everybody else had gone to bed, talking about everything that sprang to mind. This was the spot when she had first heard the story of Moby Dick, told to her by her father in only that way he could tell a story. 

"So," Krycek began, breaking the silence. "Is it nice to be back at the X-files?" 

"It's wonderful." 

He cursed himself for bringing it up; he felt a sting of jealousy build up inside him. He just had to go there and cause more pain to himself, didn't he? 

"I have never worked with anyone the way I do with Mulder," she tried to explain. "I've never felt so strongly about anything before, and working with him makes me do the best I can." 

"When I was assigned, I ... I read some of the cases you solved together," he said, his voice low. "It was pretty amazing." 

She smiled. 

"Yeah, Mulder's probably the brightest agent out there. It's challenging, to say the least, working with him." 

"Hey, I wasn't just talking about his work." Krycek smiled. "You never know what goes through his mind." 

Scully knew what he meant. She knew Mulder better than anyone did, but sometimes she felt like she didn't know him at all. He could tell her a lot of personal things, especially about Samantha, but she could never remember them having this kind of conversation. 

"He did tell me that he considered you as one of the sharpest agents he had worked with," Krycek said, interrupting her thoughts. 

"He said that?" 

"Mhm." 

The usual question was hanging in the air, but neither one of them had any intentions of letting it out. Krycek was afraid to hear that she was in love with Mulder, and so losing them both, and Scully knew she wouldn't be able to lie to him that she wasn't. So they remained silent. 

Instead, they started to bring up small events from their childhood, feeling how they connected with each passing second. Scully couldn't remember feeling this safe with anyone aside from Mulder and her father. 

They talked and laughed each story more vivid than the last. Coming from similar backgrounds they could both adjust to the other's situation and feel it as if it had been their own. 

"C'mon, don't tell me that you didn't have a special stuffed animal when you were a kid," he challenged after telling his story about his missing hippopotamus, Blarec. 

She wiped tears from her eyes and stifled the last laugh as she nodded. 

"I had this little white seal," she said, still smiling wide. "I called him 'Moby Dick,' although it wasn't a whale." 

He smiled, remembering her story about Ahab and Starbuck. "Where is he now?" 

"Back home, I guess," Scully pondered, pulling her hand through her hair. "In some unpacked box." 

"Suppressing childhood memory?" he joked, arching a brow. 

She shrugged and looked into the fire. The last glow was soon to be gone, radiating a fading red light on her face. A chill went through her body, making her shiver a little. 

It was colder when the dying flames no longer build up any heat. Krycek noted her shiver, remembering there was a quilt behind them over the back of the couch. She had no time to object as he leaned forward to wrap it around her shoulders, the scent of his cologne affecting her senses in the most pleasant ways. He couldn't help but feel her gaze as he tried to settle the quilt around her, making the mistake of looking into her eyes. 

The light from the glow danced on her soft skin, the reflection flickering in the blue of her eyes. He froze, feeling how their breaths blended as his head neared hers. It was as if his brain had ceased to exist, as his only reality was him and her, alone. She didn't protest as his lips landed softly on hers, but she didn't move to deepen it either, not until he did. 

It was innocent at first, moving lightly against each other, tasting the other. But the hunger expanded and soon the kiss was anything but innocent. 

Not until they had moved to a resting position on the couch, Krycek's hands working under her blouse, their lips never parting, did they realize what they were about to do. They reacted at the same time, stopping the kiss abruptly as they opened their eyes simultaneously. Krycek pulled his hands out from under her blouse and shifted away. 

"I'm sorry Scully," he said, blushing as he rose from the couch. "I had no right doing that." 

She got up as well, not knowing what to say. It had felt so good, the touch of a man after all this time, skin against skin and the taste of his lips against hers, even though she felt a slight twinge of guilt, thinking of Mulder. 

"It's okay," she managed, not daring to look at him. 

But she had to know for sure. 

"Why did you do it?" 

He had feared she would ask, and he didn't know what to say. Not that he didn't know why he did it; he was attracted to her, but the consequences were so complicated. If he told her he loved her and she didn't love him back, he would be left standing there. If she did love him back, he wouldn't be able to be with her and not having Mulder, because he knew he couldn't choose between them. 

She couldn't read his silence, but understood that he didn't feel like telling her, so she didn't push it. He looked hurt, though, and she felt responsible. Obviously, he did have some kind of emotions for her; but the question remained how strong those emotions were. She placed her hand on his arm, feeling him flinch. 

"It's not that I don't like you," she began slowly, not wanting to disclose too much. "It's just that everything is very complicated for me right now." 

"I understand," he said, his voice more understanding than she had ever dared to hope. "I ... I like you too, but I have a lot of other ... things on my mind." 

She was both relieved and hurt, not knowing what exactly he meant by that, deciding to let it be. 

"No hard feelings?" she asked, insecure. 

"Of course not," he answered, smiling openly, turning around to look at her. 

And she felt like kissing him again. 

* * *

Next morning, they found themselves being snowed in. Not even the windows would open, no matter how much they pushed. Even if they did get out, they wouldn't be able to get far from the cabin; the roads would be blocked. 

Mulder had noticed that something was different between Krycek and Scully. It didn't take long for him to realize that something must have happened the night before, and it made his heart sink. They tried to hide it, pretending that everything was all right, but they couldn't fool him. 

Scully watched Mulder as he was reading a file. She could tell he wasn't concentrating, and she sensed he knew. Could he have seen them? It didn't occur to her until then that he could have walked in on them as they were making out on the couch. The memories came back and made her blush. 

"Are you warm, Scully?" 

Mulder regarded her with those calm hazel eyes, her embarrassment all too evident, as she shook her head and returned to her own work. 

"Are you sure? We can turn down the heat." 

"No, it's okay," she said nervously, smiling, noticing Krycek look at her from the corner of her eye. 

Mulder noticed too. 

* * *

At dinnertime, he was positive that something had happened. The looks they were exchanging when they thought he didn't notice was evidence enough. Besides, Scully was avoiding his gaze, knowing he could read her like a book. 

He didn't know what to do or even if he could. It was as if he was losing everything all at once. Maybe he should have told them from the start, both of them, but it never felt like the right time and now he was standing alone. When he realized that he was in love with both of them he had a hard time choosing, knowing whatever he decided he would never know if it was the right decision. Now it felt as if he had to do something quick, but it was hard. 

All the time he had known Scully he had never told her. He figured she knew that he loved her, but he didn't think she knew how. It was the same the other way around; he knew Scully loved him, but he didn't know how, and honestly, he was too afraid to find out -- so he never asked. He didn't want to lose her, and having her as his friend was better than not having her at all. 

Then this last time, since he had started working with Krycek, he felt himself going through the same thing all over again. Only this time it was different. He didn't know if Krycek was bisexual or gay, but he had become to suspect it during the time they had spent together. Not only did Krycek look at him "that way," but he once had been almost kicked down by someone who he guessed to be one of Krycek's old, jealous, boyfriends. Not that Krycek had actually confirmed it. 

He didn't know what was worse, telling Scully, whom he hadn't told in all this time, or coming clean that he was bisexual and risk both of them. It was a tough decision, but all the same, it was a decision he had to make. 

* * *

"Anybody want some tea?" Scully asked later as they were finishing up their work. 

Both men nodded and she went out to the kitchen to find the teapot she knew was around there somewhere. Mulder followed her shortly after, knowing Krycek was watching him. The tension was building inside him; he had made his choice. 

"Scully," he said wondering why, all of a sudden, he felt like 15 again. 

She turned around, the pot in her hand. 

"Found it," she said with a smile, knowing by the tone of his voice that he really wanted to talk, and it troubled her. 

He didn't say anything as she turned around to rinse out the teapot and fill it with water. His heart was pounding like a drum, and a wave of dizziness came over him. 

"I need to talk to you," he managed, stepping closer. 

"Did you find anything new on the McMannon case?" she asked, her back still turned, knowing that wasn't it. 

He placed his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around and face him. He was standing close, his body inches from hers, making her knees weak as she caught his scent. 

"I want to tell you something," he said, lowering his voice. 

She swallowed hard, begging to God that he wouldn't say what she suspected he would. 

"Mulder, I..." 

He prevented her from saying more, lifting a single finger to her lips. She grew limp. 

"This is going to be hard enough to say as it is, so please ... just let me say it." 

Moving his hand from her face, he collected her hands between his, wondering if she could feel his heartbeat. She looked scared, but he couldn't turn back now. 

"I should have told you this a long time ago, but I ... " his cheeks blossomed with a shade of red. 

Not knowing if she should laugh or cry, she just watched him. Everything was happening too fast; she didn't have time to catch up. He had had such a hard time telling her, and she knew that one way or another, she would end up hurting either of the men she loved. She couldn't lie to either of them if confronted. Silence was one thing, but out and out lying was a completely different issue. 

"I love you, Scully." 

He tilted her head, making her look at him. 

"Truth is," and he had to smile at his own choice of words, "I think I'll go crazy without you." 

The last words were spoken with such effort she knew exactly what he meant by it. Fox Mulder didn't do anything by half measures, and she couldn't imagine his love for her being any other way. She couldn't speak. 

Not knowing what her silence meant, he moved closer, slowly, not wanting to scare her away by doing anything hasty. But she didn't move; she was paralyzed as he leaned in to kiss her. 

It was a moment she had been waiting for so long, a moment she thought was one only possible in her imagination. And now she stood there, feeling his lips almost touching hers, the soft curve of his upper lip just about to make the barest of impressions between hers, and she couldn't let him go through with it. How could she possibly kiss Mulder after having kissed Krycek just the night before? 

"Mulder, don't," she whispered, the movement of her lips nearly causing them to encounter his. 

He moved away, looking hurt, and she felt the guilt filling her body. She couldn't meet his gaze. 

"Why?" 

She kept staring at the floor, silent. 

"Look at me, Scully." 

The request was understandable, and reasonable, and she lifted her head to find him looking at her like a little lost schoolboy. She wanted to cry. 

"I don't want to hurt you, Mulder," she whispered, knowing she already had. 

"Is it Krycek?" 

There was no need to say yes. Her silence was enough. 

"What happened?" he asked. She could hear his voice break. 

She saw the tears in his eyes. "We..." she hesitated, mumbling. "We just kissed." 

He sighed, disconsolate, rubbing his forehead to try and cope with the moment. 

"I see," he said as he nodded. "So you could kiss him but you can't kiss me." 

"Mulder, it's not like that... I didn't..." 

"... Do you love _him_?" 

"This is really complicated for me, Mulder. I..." 

"... Do you _love_ him?" 

Their eyes met. 

"But it's more complicated than that, Mulder, if you'd just let me explain..." 

"... Spare me," he said before leaving, his heart in a thousand pieces. 

Krycek noticed that Mulder ignored him as he dashed through the living room toward his room. He had heard the last part of their conversation, aware that Mulder knew. So he was probably the last person Mulder wanted to speak to right now. Even so, he rose to talk to him, if not for his own benefit, then for Scully's. 

The door to the bedroom was ajar and he could see Mulder packing his bag. But Krycek knew it was an activity triggered by frustration; it wasn't as though any of them could leave, since they couldn't even get out of the cabin. 

Krycek rapped lightly on the doorframe, knowing that Mulder had already noted his presence. 

"What do you want?" Mulder asked, his voice charged with rage as he threw a shirt into the bag. 

"It's not what you think," Krycek started, seeing Mulder's jaw clench. "There isn't anything between us." 

Mulder slammed a pair of files into the bag, not believing a word. 

"Where are you going, anyway? We're snowed in, remember?" 

Looking up at the man before him, Krycek couldn't help but notice the pained expression on his face. 

"Are you in love with her?" Mulder asked him straight out, shaking inside as he awaited the answer he didn't really want to hear. 

"Yeah," he confessed, wanting to tell him more but finding his courage failing him. 

Mulder nodded. He was losing both of them and he couldn't stay around to watch it any more. So he started walking away, beginning the process suppressing his feelings, little by little. 

Krycek stepped into his path. Their eyes met. 

"Do you?" Krycek demanded to know conscious of the answer already. 

"Do what?" 

"Love her." 

"Does it matter?" 

He nodded. 

"Well, I think it doesn't, since you're the one she wants. Why don't you go right ahead and take her." 

"I won't be able to do that." 

Mulder's brows came together. 

"What are you talking about? She loves you and you love her, don't let _me_ stop you." 

"It's not that. I ... I'm in love with someone else as well." 

A feeling of deja vu came to mind, but Mulder shook it off. 

"Grow up will you," Mulder said a little too harsh. "You don't know what you're talking about." 

Krycek swallowed hard and nodded. He didn't know yet if he should tell him or just keep quiet. Standing this close, he knew what he wanted to do, but it wasn't that simple. There was no saying how he would react. 

"Get out of my way," Mulder commanded, closing up to Krycek as he spoke until he was dangerously near. 

But he didn't budge. Neither did as their eyes locked, both trying to read the other's. All either of them had to do was to lean a little closer, just a little, and it would be inevitable. 

"I won't take her away from you," Krycek said, hearing the tremor in his own voice. "I can't choose between her and..." 

Mulder saw him having problems spilling it out that he was breathing more rapidly now, the look in his eyes no different from his own. 

"Who?" Mulder challenged, not knowing how much longer he could resist. 

Krycek closed his eyes, afraid to learn what change he would see in those in front of him. 

"And you." 

In a swift second he could feel Mulder's lips upon his own, harsh and longing. He let out the breath he had been holding and followed the movement of the other man's lips, his emotions in a tangle. It was such a long time ago since he had tasted that special fragrance you only got from kissing another man. 

Meanwhile, Scully was trying to determine on what to do. She knew better than going after Mulder in the heat of the moment; instead, she went over the past few days in her head. Things were really starting to get out of control and she felt herself unable to stop it. This wasn't who she was, was it? Dana Scully was rational not the kind who would urge for two men at the same time. She had wanted Mulder to kiss her; she really had just as much as she had wanted for Krycek to kiss her the night before. That was outrageous. But all the same, it made perfect sense. She knew it was time to face what she had been trying to deny. It was inevitable. She wanted them both. With that thought in mind she prepared herself to face him again and give him the facts straight out. She walked past the living room, heading for Mulder's room. 

It was quiet. She wondered where Krycek had gone, since she hadn't seen him where she expected, on the couch. She turned the corner. 

What came next took her completely off-guard. Mulder and Krycek were standing inside the bedroom, sharing a passionate kiss. She could only stare as she watched Mulder reach up to take a firm grip of Krycek's head, deepening the kiss. Krycek didn't seem to mind at all. 

At first she was confused and shocked. Both Mulder and Krycek had in some way declared that they had emotions for her, and now they were standing in front of her kissing. In all the time she had known Mulder he had never told her that he had those kind of feelings; she never had suspected it. 

When the first reaction wore off, she experienced something she had not expected. This was the first time she saw two men together like and she found herself being completely and utterly turned on by it. It was a discovery she could not deny. Her attention was completely devoured by what was going on in front of her and the heat in her midsection was increasing like wildfire. 

A sound, comparable to a moan, passed her lips and suddenly she broke the spell. 

The two men stepped away from each other, puzzled. Scully kept staring, no less embarrassed herself. 

"I ... I'm sorry," she said with a cough. "I'll be ... I'll go and ... " she couldn't form the words, concentrating on getting out of there as fast as she could. 

Mulder and Krycek closed their eyes. Could things possibly be a little bit more complicated? 

"I'll go talk to her," Mulder suggested, still shaken from the kiss. 

He started walking toward the door when Krycek called his name. 

"It wasn't a ... I mean you don't..." he stammered, insecure. 

Mulder smiled at the younger man. 

"Relax, Alex," he said seeing the tension wear off from his shoulders. 

Scully was sitting out on the couch staring into the fire, her mind all in a jumble, trying to process what had happened. Mulder recognized that look of hers as he sat down beside her -- it was the one when she was trying to solve a tough case. No words were spoken in a long time. 

"I was watching the fire here earlier," she said suddenly, unexpectedly. "It occurred to me how ... how much it reminds me of you," she said, smiling, still staring into the flames. "Beautiful, strong and hard to put out." 

His gaze lay heavy on her, trying to discern her thoughts. 

"I love you too, Mulder." 

He was somewhat surprised. 

"But I love Krycek as well." 

This was too ironic. 

"Are you disgusted?" he asked, a little worried. 

She laughed softly and shook her head. 

"You never told me," she said, for the first time turning to look at him since the scene in the bedroom. 

"I didn't think you'd..." 

"... Approve?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow. 

"No, I don't know. Maybe I was afraid you'd look at me in a different way, that you would shun me." 

"I think it would disappoint me, knowing you wouldn't take any interest in me," she said, and smiled again. "Which brings me to another subject. Why did you say ..." 

"... because I do. I do want you," he confessed again. "But I want Krycek as well." 

"Deja vu," Scully mumbled. "So what do we do now?" 

"Well ... I got to kiss Krycek, Krycek got to kiss you, but..." he smiled innocently. "You can't decide before you've tried it all, after all." 

"Decide?" 

"Yeah, Krycek told me he loved you, and me, so..." he waved his hands in the air. 

"You're asking me if you can kiss me?" 

"Uhh, I guess so." 

She turned her head away from him, confused by it all. They were in love, all three of them, and someone had to go. Someone, or all. 

"This is so strange, I don't know what to think of it," she told him. "I mean, whose choice will it be?" 

"I don't know." 

"I know I can't choose." 

"Me neither." 

"And I don't want to lose either of you." 

"Me neither." 

She turned to him, frowning. This was too hard, too damned convoluted. 

"Maybe we should talk to Krycek too," she suggested calmly, calmer than she felt. 

"I'll go get him," Mulder offered, touching her hand before he moved away from the couch. 

* * *

Scully and Mulder sat in the couch, Krycek on the bear fur in front of them. No one spoke. Either they were too embarrassed or they couldn't think of anything useful to say. Perhaps both. It was an uncomfortable silence that was just waiting to be broken. 

Krycek let his gaze wander over Scully, then Mulder, snapshot memories flashing through his mind, making him blush. They had both felt so good, different, but oh so nice. How could he choose? He couldn't. He wanted them both, he needed them both. 

"This isn't going to work," Mulder sighed finally. "Maybe we should be together all three of us, at once, or take turns or something," he added ironically. 

Scully raised her eyes, wondering how Krycek would react to that. He was meeting her gaze -- and he was interested. 

"It was a joke, okay?" Mulder said with a smile. "I'm sorry, it was stupid." 

Krycek smiled at Scully, a smile lurking in response. 

"C'mon, you guys, I was just _kidding_ ," Mulder continued, now a little frustrated. 

Their smiles widened. 

"We can't do that," he wondered what had gotten into them, to Scully most of all. "Can we?" 

Their eyes' were shining as they looked at him. He felt awkward being the one who was being reasonable. But how could he resist those eyes? 

"We can at least give it a try," Scully almost pleaded, and Mulder fought the urge to rub his eyes in disbelief. 

"All three of us?" he dared her, watching the color rise in her face. 

"Yeah." She shook off the embarrassment, starting to like this idea even more as she thought it through. "I think it's worth a shot." 

Mulder waved a hand in front of Scully's face. 

"Scully? Is it really you?" 

She ignored him and turned to Krycek. 

"What do you think?" she asked him, knowing the answer already. 

"I say we go for it," he suggested, leaving the final decision for Mulder. 

Mulder suddenly found his tongue tied as they turned to him once again for the final decision. What could he say? He wanted it, but it felt strange, thinking of them all together. 

"Uh ... I ... it's ... I ...," he stuttered, trying desperately to come up with something to say. 

"You what?" Krycek smiled. 

"I ... I guess we could try," he managed, still a little puzzled. 

Scully smiled widely. He was amazed at how she was acting. Krycek was another thing, he didn't know him _that_ well, but he thought he knew Scully better than this. Well, even he could be mistaken, and it wasn't as though he disliked this new side of her; quite the contrary. This should be interesting. 

* * *

A couple of months earlier 

He'd never thought about how much her presence had meant until she was gone. How empty and dead the office looked when she wasn't sitting in front of his desk or going through the files that were spread across the table. But most of all, he realized how much he needed her as a person, a friend and that how much he would ever try and ignore it, he depended on her in every way there was. 

"Welcome back," he said, smiling, the sight of her, safe, bringing peace to his heart. 

She looked up at him from in front of his desk, a file open in her hands, and it struck him how it had never bothered him to have her sitting there. She was one of the few women he knew with whom he had never slept but the only woman who had her own key to his apartment. 

"It feels good to be back," she said, returning the smile. 

There was a comfortable silence as their eyes met. Scully broke the contact first, scanning the office briefly. 

"I see things haven't changed around here," referring to the mess. 

He followed her gaze and smiled again. 

"To tell you the truth, I haven't been down here all that much," he told her and walked up to the piles of papers she last had set her eyes on. 

"That's right," she remembered, spinning her chair around to watch him sort the piles. "How was it to work with the guys for a change?" 

"Okay," he said. "You met Krycek, didn't you?" 

"Yeah, he seemed nice," she forced out, fighting down that lump of jealousy that had no place being there. "You worked well together?" 

Mulder turned around and walked up to sit on the edge of his desk, facing her in a way that demanded eye contact. She looked troubled. 

"Well, yes, actually," he told her with caution. "Not as well as with you, though, too little resistance," he joked, noting the embarrassed smile he manage to provoke from her. "He told me to say hi." 

She flinched and as soon as the words reached her, she fought to hold it back. So they were still in contact. That she hadn't expected. She supposed she should be happy for him. 

"So let's get to work," she said, deliberately changing the subject. 

* * *

There was a small tap on the door and Scully lifted her eyes from the file she was perusing. No one ever came down to see them. Mulder had left the door open when he had gone out to buy lunch. 

"Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting you," Agent Krycek said, smiling as he noted her puzzled expression. 

She kept staring at him, obviously not prepared to find _him_ standing there, and Krycek started feeling uncomfortable. 

"I ... I was looking for Mulder," he explained, not wanting to walk inside until she asked him. 

"Oh, come in," she said, coughing as she put down the file. "He'll be back in a few minutes." 

"Is it okay if I wait for him?" He wanted to make sure. "I could come back later." 

Scully couldn't help but smile. Their first meeting must have given him the wrong idea about her, the way she had ignored his presence. It had just been hard for her to accept Mulder having another partner, after all they had been through together, and she had to admit that she had been a bit jealous. A small part of her was still jealous that Mulder seemed to socialize with him even now. He hadn't been willing to do that when it came to her, he really wasn't like that with her at all. Personally, she had nothing against Krycek; she would probably even like him if she got to know him. 

"It's no problem." 

He blushed and took a few steps inside. The last couple of times they'd met he had gotten the feeling that she didn't like him. 

"How are you?" he asked her, not knowing if he should take a seat or stay where he was. 

"I'm fine," she said with a nod. "Ready to get back to work, anyway." 

As she finished, Mulder came back with a bag of what smelled like Thai takeout. Surprised to see Krycek there, he felt his heart skipping a beat, seeing them both together made it beat harder. It was important for him that they got along. He liked Krycek, in more ways than he could allow himself to admit, and as far as his feelings for Scully were concerned, they needed no description. 

"Krycek," he said with a smile, putting the bag on the desk. "Are you disturbing my partner?" 

"Uh ... hi, Mulder," he said, stumbling over the words, wondering why he suddenly felt so guilty. "I just came down to have you take a look at something," he explained, suddenly feeling the need to have an explanation for being there. 

"Sure," Mulder nodded and walked over. "Let's see it." 

Handing over a file, Krycek hoped that Mulder really would find something, just to make it less obvious that he was just looking for an excuse to visit. Scully rose from behind the desk and reached for her briefcase. Mulder looked up at her. 

"Going home already?" 

"Nope. I'm going over to Pendrell to have this analyzed," and she produced a piece of metal, presumably evidence, from a little container. "See you later." 

"Yeah. Don't forget your food," he reminded her and returned to the file. 

"Nice meeting you again, Krycek," she said. 

Krycek found himself trapped in her eyes; he noticed that she didn't look away immediately. They were a beautiful shade of blue, so different from Mulder's. He felt something strange twist inside him as they held eye contact, but he didn't want to dig too deep. 

"Yeah, the same," he managed, seeing a change in her eyes. 

"Bye, then." 

And she was out of there, leaving the two men alone. 

"This looks all right," Mulder mumbled, checking once more to see if he had missed anything. "I mean, other than it's a boring case." 

Krycek smiled in agreement and took back the file. He wanted to ask Mulder if they could go out, but couldn't find the courage. It wasn't as if asking that question would reveal his sexual disposition, but to him it felt as if Mulder would notice anyway. 

"What are you doing after work?" he asked cautiously, watching him take a seat by his desk. 

"I don't know," Mulder said, a little occupied as he picked up and looked at a brief that Scully had left on the desk. "Probably watch a movie and order some takeout. Why?" 

"Uh, I just wondered." 

Mulder looked up at him curiously. He was holding something back, yet he couldn't figure out what. Not that they had had a relationship equal to his and Scully's, but during the time they'd worked together they'd grown quite close, and he couldn't think of anything that would be uncomfortable for them to talk about. Except his own feelings, and that wasn't anything he would ever bring up. 

"If you want to, you can come over," he offered, seeing this as a good opportunity, at the same time knowing he shouldn't be doing this to himself. "That is, if you can handle the mess." 

"That would be great," Krycek said, and he realized he had answered a little too quickly and felt his cheeks getting hot. "If you're up for it." 

"Sure, come over at six and we'll grab a pizza or something." 

"I'll be there," Krycek grinned and felt the tension leave him. This had been easier than he had dared to hope for. Almost too easy. But he didn't give it any more thought as he left the small office in the basement. 

Later that night, when the pizza had been eaten and the movie had ended a long time ago, they sat talking in Mulder's couch. Both had a hard time keeping their eyes off each other and found themselves from time to time embarrassingly observant of each other. 

"Have you heard of any new partner yet?" Mulder wanted to know. 

"No," he said, knowing too well that they both knew why. No one wanted to work with "Spooky's" old partner. "I guess there's a lineup," he offered, knowing that wasn't true. 

Mulder nodded and appreciated that he didn't want to hurt him by saying how it really was. 

"How are things with Scully?" Krycek wanted to know, glad that Mulder had finally gotten what he wanted. 

"Oh, it's great," Mulder smiled, a glimmer in his eye. "Although I think she's already getting tired of my ideas," he joked, knowing somewhere inside him she never would be. 

"They're not so bad, once you've gotten used to them, they're actually quite ..." 

"Amusing?" 

"Yeah, that too," Krycek teased and smiled. "No, it was interesting," he added, sounding more serious. "Can't say I didn't like it." 

Sharing a smile, they were both thinking the same thing, neither dreaming of the fact that they actually were. 

"Well, it's late," Krycek said, looking at his watch. "I'd better head home." 

"Yeah," Mulder agreed, not really wanting him to go home just yet. He was enjoying himself. 

Standing in front of his front door, Mulder leaned against the wall, watching Krycek put on his jacket. What was it with this man that made him react so strongly? Normally, he was able to suppress his homosexual side, but just as with Scully, Krycek was impossible to deny. 

"If we don't see each other at work tomorrow, give me a call, why don't you," Krycek dared, glad that the room was so dark. "Maybe we can do something tomorrow." 

"Okay," Mulder said, smiling, relieved he had brought it up. 

Krycek nodded and lingered a while at the door before leaving Mulder in a state of mind that threatened to explode. Everything was happening too fast, with Scully's return and his feelings for her and Krycek. He needed a break, although he didn't see one presenting itself anytime soon. 

With a loud sigh, he went back to the couch, knowing the smell of Krycek would still be there for a while, disturbing his sleep. 

It went on like that. He met Krycek almost every day after work and spent his entire working day with Scully. Every time he saw one of them, he felt so sure of his feelings, but if he started thinking about choosing between them, he couldn't. 

Scully didn't seem to have anything against Krycek, and he appeared to like her too. Sometimes when he was late and Krycek had come to visit in the basement, he caught them talking, usually about some case or something else involving work, but by the looks of it, they enjoyed each other's company. As for himself, he had a hard time seeing them together. 

* * *

Mulder was late as usual and she realized she would have to enter the cafeteria alone again. If she were lucky, he would come join her halfway through with some bad excuse she would only half listen to. Not that she cared very much, it had become close to a habit and in some strange way, it felt comfortable now after her disappearance and return to learn that everything was back to normal. 

Just as she was about to enter the cafeteria, however, she felt a tap on her shoulder and was surprised to see Krycek standing there with a smile on his face. 

"Hi, Scully," he said, still smiling. "Mind if I join you?" 

She was astonished. Normally, the other agents didn't pay her much positive attention, her being "Spooky Mulder's" partner and all, and she didn't care much for them, one way or another. But Krycek had also been his partner and from what she had heard, he had problems getting a new one because of that, so her surprise settled quickly. 

"Sure." She smiled back, finding this a little amusing. Two outcasts, eating lunch together. It was practically junior high school all over again. 

They went into the cafeteria, bought their food and found a free table. Aware of others staring at them, they sat down and did a good job ignoring the attention they had managed to garner.  <Years of practice> Scully thought, amused, and glanced at Krycek ,who didn't seem to care either. 

"So where's Mulder?" he asked, an ironic undertone in his voice. 

She smiled and arched a brow. It wasn't hard to figure out that he had undergone the same treatment from Mulder. If you could call it treatment; when you got used to it, it was -- almost normal. 

"Have you been assigned a new partner yet?" she asked, looking into those deep green eyes. 

He shook his head and sighed. 

"No, no new partner yet. I figure it'll take a while," he said, realizing that she was probably the only one who could understand his position. "In the meantime, I'm on my own." 

"If you need help with anything, let me know," she offered, feeling sorry for him. It was hard, being left out like that, and she couldn't help but feel guilty about being the one who put him there. 

"I might take you up on that," he said as he raised his glass to her. 

Their eyes locked for a moment. It had happened before and every time he looked at her, she felt warm all over. He was a very good-looking man and she couldn't deny her attraction. But it wasn't just an attraction; it felt deeper than that. 

Dismissing the thought, she forced herself to look away. He didn't feel the same way. Maybe he was just curious, as everybody else. After all, she was Fox Mulder's partner and friend. And so was he. She smiled to herself and took a sip of her beverage. 

Talking through lunch, she was drawn even more to this man whom she hardly knew. They both felt the chemistry between them, but neither dared to question it. 

"I need to look through a file, I hope you don't mind," she said not wanting him to get the feeling that he was boring her. 

"No, that's OK," he assured her and gave her a quick nod. 

She lifted her bag from the floor beside her the grip a little too loose as she accidentally dropped it back to the floor. A few things fell out of it and both of them were quickly on the floor to gather her stuff. She blushed; glad she hadn't had anything really embarrassing in there. Krycek lifted a book smiling to him self. 

"You're reading this?" he wanted to know holding up the book that said: The old man and the sea. 

She put down her wallet in the bag and he joined her back by the table. 

"Yeah," she nodded with a smile. 

"I love this book," he told her, reaching her it across the table. 

"Me too," she smiled and felt his fingers linger over hers as she took it. "I.. uhm," she put it back in her bag feeling her heart beating faster. "I've read it about a thousand times." 

He couldn't stop staring at her. 

"Really?" realizing how stupid he sounded. "You read a lot?" 

"Yeah, I love reading. It' so relaxing." 

"Can't argue with that." 

She avoided his gaze on purpose. 

"What about you?" 

"What about me?" he teased. 

"What do you read?" 

He pushed away his trey to lean his elbows on the table, a thoughtful look on his face. 

"Well, Hemingway is a strong favorite, of course," he nodded towards the bag. "Then I read a lot of Russian novels, like Tolsoy and Dostojevskij." 

Of course, she thought, reminded of the fact that he was from Russia. 

"Any favorites?" she asked. 

He shook his head. 

"No. I'm not very good at choosing favorites." 

She met his gaze. 

Mulder stepped into the cafeteria, scanning the room after Scully. He knew her well enough to know that she wasn't mad at him for being late, but he still tried to work a little better on his excuse. Letting his gaze wander to a corner of the room, he found her sitting opposite Krycek and felt a slight surprise. They were talking and seemed to have a pleasant time, something that did something to him. He was jealous -- but not. There was something about seeing them together that was both confusing and appealing. 

When he had gotten over his first reaction, he moved to reach them, wondering why he felt as if he was going to be in the way. 

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he sat down next to Scully. 

She gave him an odd gaze, sensing something strange about his mood. He smiled back at her, suddenly having forgotten the elaborate excuse he had concocted for her. 

"It's okay." She nodded at Krycek. "I was lucky to get some company anyway." 

"Yeah, I noticed," he smiled toward Krycek, who looked like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Mulder's usual expression. 

A silence spread over them and they all felt a little awkward. Usually, when they met like this, they were in the basement and Krycek only talked to Mulder. Scully was just present but never really part of the conversation. Now, Mulder felt as if it were him standing outside, and he didn't like the feel of it. 

Krycek was feeling the same way and felt it was time to hit the road. "Well, I have some work to do," he explained as he rose. "I'll see you later." 

"Yeah," Scully said as she looked up at him, realizing he was looking at Mulder but that he quickly moved his gaze to her. And they were locked again. Not for long, but long enough for Mulder to notice. 

Without another word, Krycek left, making his excuses to Mulder in passing. Mulder turned in time to see the blush draining from Scully's cheeks, wondering what the hell he had interrupted. 

* * *

"Do you want to come along for a beer?" 

Mulder looked up from the computer screen to find Krycek standing in the doorway. For a moment, he looked confused but gathered his thoughts quickly. 

"Uhh -- sure, give me five." 

"No problem." 

Krycek sat down in the only spot in the room that wasn't covered with work. 

"So where's Scully?" 

"She went home an hour ago," Mulder replied, putting his glasses down. "Where are we going?" 

"The usual joint," he said, watching Mulder rise and grab his jacket. "Ready?" 

"Yeah." 

Two other agents joined them as they went down to the garage. Mulder knew them by reputation as two hotshots from the VCS that Krycek had spend some time with before he had been assigned with him. They seemed pretty OK to him and he figured they had more things on their mind than to even bother and bug him but as Krycek started a conversation about a case they'd just solved, Mulder decided to "butt out," knowing they wouldn't be so fond of his ideas. The thought of going out and socializing with other people amused him. If Scully could see him now, she would have a hard time trying to rationalize it. 

The joint's atmosphere was noisy and a thick smoke lay heavy in the air. They sat at a table for four but half an hour later they had multiplied to six. The conversation was still on the old case, though it was now being seen from different perspectives. Taking a sip of his beer, Mulder heard one of the new agents by the table speaking to him. 

"Do I call you 'Spooky Mulder' or just 'Spooky'?" 

Mulder clenched his jaws, forcing a smile. 

" 'Mulder' will do just fine." 

The agent pretended not to hear him. 

"So, Spooky, what's your opinion on the homicide? Do you think the guy went plain crazy or does he fit the profile of one of your abductees?" 

Mulder grinned, shaking his head. He should have known better than to try to make nice. He was just about to answer when Krycek cut in. 

"Lay off, Logan!" 

"Boy, you've gone touchy since your time in the basement." 

"It would do you some good to spend some time with an agent with real experience." 

Logan stared him out but clearly realized it would be for the best to let it be. 

After four beers, Mulder realized he had been staring at Krycek for far too long. He didn't have time to be embarrassed about it when one of the guys at the table offered him his attention. 

"Where's your partner, Mulder?" 

"Home, I guess." 

"I thought the two of you kept a much closer watch on each other than that." 

"No." Mulder smiled, still willing to be friendly. 

"You mean the two of you haven't done anything against bureau policy?" 

"Depends on what you mean," knowing exactly what he meant. 

"You know." 

"No, I don't," he said, enunciating the words. His meaning was clear: Drop the subject. Now. 

However, not unusual when it came to having his opinion heard, he was ignored. "Don't tell me you haven't given it any thought. She is pretty hot." 

"Our relationship is strictly professional." 

"Come on, you're human, you must at least have thought about sleeping with her." 

"No." <You know you're lying now, don't you? >

"I had a female partner once, didn't work out. Just after a week we ended up in bed," one of the other agents at the table mused. Mulder was grateful; he didn't want to get into this, not here, not now. 

"What happened?" the guy who had brought up the topic in the first place was really getting interested. 

"Well, first of all, she was married, though that wasn't any major obstacle. The AD found out about it." 

"Let me guess," an other Agent started. "First: Skinner yelled at you for an hour or so, then made you assure him that you know the bureau rules about partners getting involved." 

The agent nodded. "That was the easy part. He suspended me for a week without pay and then reassigned us." 

"Did her husband ever find out?" Mulder inquired to know. 

"No, he didn't." The agent grinned widely. 

Mulder joined him. Just to be polite. 

"I still wonder, though --" the agent went on. 

"What?" Mulder asked, sighing. He just wished that the topic would be dropped. 

"How you can work without a constant hard-on." 

<I'll drink to that. >

* * *

He woke up, fully dressed, after a couple of hours' sleep on the couch, from the light streaming in through the window shade. 

He was late. He had stayed far too late, drunk far too much the previous night. 

Getting up, he felt a dull headache coming over him. Shuffling off in the direction of the bathroom, he got undressed on the way, grabbing a towel as he did. A quick shower and some new clothes were all he needed before going to work, not feeling tiptop, but enough. 

* * *

She was surprised he wasn't there when she got to the office. While waiting for him, she sat down to do some paperwork, trying to clear the desk of some old cases, if not actual debris. She wondered if he had spent the evening with Krycek; she had called him a few times to ask about the latest case last night, but each time had only gotten his answering machine. Since Mulder didn't have a social life; he had expected the same for her, so now when he was "socializing," she couldn't help but to feel abandoned. If she was sitting at home every night, cleaning her Smith and Wesson, she expected the same from him. 

Raising her eyes at the sound of someone entering, she saw a very tired Mulder walk in. 

"Good morning." 

He noted that tone she used when he was late. It was cheery and chipper, and he hated it. 

But he played along. "You're bright and early?" He grinned. 

She looked at her watch. 

"Not really. Late night?" 

Wishing he wouldn't hear the curiosity in her voice, she tried to occupy herself with the files in front of her as she waited for him to answer. 

"I just took in a couple of beers with Krycek." He looked down at the papers in her hand. "So what's on the agenda for today?" 

"I have an autopsy in half an hour, and you --" she rose from the chair to hand him the pile of papers --"have some filing to do." 

Giving her a tormented expression, he took the papers. As she was walking out of the office, his cell phone rang, making her stop short. Watching him hang up, he gave the papers in his hand a quick glance before commenting. 

"I guess this will just have to wait." 

"Who was it?" 

"A fellow agent who's just gotten a dead body on his hands and thought it looked like something we normally would investigate." 

"So where are we going?" 

He gave her a devilish look. 

"Is Agent Scully ditching her 'date' with the morgue?" 

"I have a pretty strong feeling that I'm going to have two dead bodies to 'date.'" 

* * *

Mulder kneeled beside the covered body, lifting the sheet. A young man, approximately 17-20 years of age, lay face down. 

"So what do you think?" He glanced up toward Scully. 

"It looks like he froze to death, but I can't be sure until the autopsy." 

Mulder rose, taking the latex gloves off and facing the agent who had called him there. 

"Who found him?" 

"A woman walking her dog. I guess he's been here a day or two. I appreciate your help on this." 

Scully smiled at him, assuring him it was no problem. She also noted the way he looked at her and found herself feeling uncomfortable. A soon as she and Mulder were alone in the car, she asked, "Do you know the guy?" 

"Not really. I met him last night," he said with a laugh at the memory of the conversation. 

"What?" Scully wanted to know. 

"His hormones starts a riot every time a woman walks past him." 

"No wonder he couldn't stop staring," he heard her mutter and just had to reply to that. 

"Don't take what I said the wrong way, Scully, you're a very beautiful woman." 

He caused her a very serious case of blush. 

* * *

Leaving her with the forensic evidence, he took the elevator up to see the assistant director, in whom he had for the first time in a very long while failed to cause a bad mood and a long lecture of bureau rules. After the initial shock and the short meeting was over, waiting for Scully to finish the autopsy, he grabbed a quick lunch with Krycek in the cafeteria. 

"How's your day?" Krycek asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

"Nothing but a dead guy." 

"Interesting?" 

"Dunno yet." He hesitated. "What are you doing after work?" 

"Why? You want to impose on my cooking experiences?" 

"Actually -- yes, I do." 

"I'll be home after six." 

Mulder nodded, promising he would show up sometime after that. He realized he'd spent a lot of time with Krycek lately; it actually felt as if he were giving in to a habit every time he met him. The same thing happened every time he was away from Scully, but he had thought it was just a side effect of her abduction, something psychological. When the same feeling came over him with Krycek, he had spent nights of restless sleep thinking about it, trying to come to a conclusion. The one that seemed to be the most reasonable scared him. 

* * *

She had just finished when he came in. 

"Hey, doc, what's up?" 

"Well -- " she began, ignoring his attempt to be funny. "Nothing indicates that he didn't freeze to death." 

"What about alcohol or drugs?" 

"There were no traces of either, though I did find some traces of cardiobenzene." 

"Cardiobenzene? What's that?" 

"It's used to slow the heart -- too much of it and it kills you, but that's not the cause here." 

"So the cause of death was exposure?" 

"Yeah." 

"Intriguing." 

Scully knew how he felt. She had hoped for some excitement too; their latest cases had been ridiculously easy and boring, and it was almost starting to feel as though they were getting other agents' leftovers. 

Mulder was disappointed; he had been looking forward to a mindtwister. Their last cases had been meaningless stakeouts and homicides that turned out to be death by natural causes. The rest of the day he had tried so hard to find something to occupy his mind, and he had made Scully promise she would do the same. 

* * *

Coming home to a well-lit apartment, Krycek realized just how empty it was. The silence was almost scary, and it reminded him of a boyhood experience when his brother had left him alone one night. He had been so afraid of the darkness and the silence that he had crawled under the bed to hide from the monsters that always came out when it was dark. 

To escape them this time, he decided to turn on the TV. The voice of the news anchor echoed in the room. 

He gave the phone a hopeful glance, knowing that Mulder had promised to give him a call later that night. Wishing for his company, though knowing he was in Pikeville, West Virginia, with Scully. 

Rummaging around in the kitchen to find something edible, he made himself a couple of sandwiches and some tea. <Tea, the only thing Mulder can make in the kitchen without burning it,> he thought, smiling to himself. Even though the television was on, he grabbed a book from the bookshelf but found himself unable to concentrate. His thoughts wandered to Mulder in the swimming pool, wearing nothing but a pair of tight Speedos, exposing a beautiful body he would not mind exploring in every possible way. The thought was almost painful, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for himself for falling in love with a "straight" guy. 

* * *

He must have dozed off, because the phone's trilling woke him. Reaching for the phone, he answered sleepily. 

"Yeah?" 

"It's me. Did I wake you?" 

"Mulder?" he straightened up. "No ... no, you didn't wake me." 

" So how are things in Pikeville?" 

"It's coming along. I think we'll be home the day after tomorrow." 

"Great," he said, trying to keep his exhilaration down. "How's Scully? Is she glad for the sudden excitement in the case?" 

"She should be, since she's been getting her fair share of dead guys," Mulder joked, receiving a laugh from his former partner. He missed him, though he was glad to spend some time with Scully. "Can we do something when I get back?" Mulder continued. 

Krycek smiled. "Sure, as long as it's not running." 

"I promise." 

After talking to Krycek, he decided to impose on Scully. Seeing her in jeans and a tight T-shirt made him look at her twice. She was acting so casual and relaxed that it almost made him a little uncomfortable. As she spoke about the progress on the case, he found himself occupied with her hands, imagining what it would feel like to have them touch his body. 

She noticed how he kept on staring. She hoped he didn't see her blush. Instead, she kept on talking, hoping he would notice how she stared at his body as he was stretched out on her bed, resting his head in the palm of his hand. His long legs were dressed in the Armani suit pants that he had worn all day. The white shirt he was wearing had the first three buttons undone, exposing his throat and chest, leaving the rest for her to imagine. As her gaze wandered up and met his, his eyes enchanted hers, imprisoning her in the hazel dimension that recklessly stole what little dignity she had left. 

She remembered their shared gaze after they returned from West Virginia and he had dropped her off. Reaching his answering machine for the 10th time, she was starting to give up hope. Where the hell was he? She knew him well enough to know that he would bring his cell phone if he were out on a lead. <Because he needs me to save his ass, > she thought as she stared at her clock. <Why do I care? >

She sat down. <Yeah, why do you care? > The little voice inside her head said. Moaning out loud, she rubbed her face. <Because I do care, don't I? >

The time hadn't moved. <Stop caring so much, it's none of your business. He's a good-looking man; he probably has a lot of women lined up for him. You don't stand a chance. >

The phone rang. 

"Mulder?" 

"No, Dana, it's me," her mother said. "Is it a bad time? Has something happened to Fox?" 

Scully leaned back, feeling how the tension left her body. Great, now she was going to draw the conclusions. The last thing she needed was to be confronted by her mother. 

"No, I just -- I couldn't reach him," she mumbled. "I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind. How are you, mom?" 

"I'm more worried about you. How are you, Dana? You haven't been yourself lately. Is it Fox?" 

"I'm fine, mom, I'm fine. Really. It's just been -- hectic lately." 

"Maybe you should take some time off from work, get --" 

"No, I can't do that. I don't want to do that. I told you, I'm fine." 

"Dana, you know that I didn't approve of you getting back to work so soon and if you're feeling stressed out, maybe you should step back from it for a couple of days. Go up to the cabin, it's empty for the following couple of months. It would do you good." 

Scully rubbed her eyes. 

"Mom, I know you just want what's best, but I need to work. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." 

She went silent for a while. 

"Thanks for caring, though," Scully said, smiling, hoping her mother would get over it. 

Mrs. Scully knew it was no use to talk her into anything. Dana had always had a mind of her own and she would be foolish if she thought she could do anything about her decisions. It didn't keep her from worrying about her, it never would. 

* * *

He swallowed the last of his beer before answering. 

"I totally agree, De Luca should come down to earth with the rest of us." 

Krycek laughed at his choice of words. 

"No, hey, but listen. He stole the entire profile. I read the same profile a couple of years ago; the real writer, Agent Tunis, worked for four years on that case." 

"But how couldn't Skinner have noticed?" 

"I don't know, but it was a weird case -- Satanic murders, you know, typical stuff that ends up in the basement." 

"I guess that could be a reason." 

He noticed Mulder glance at his watch. 

"It's getting late, isn't it?" 

"Yeah." 

"If you want to, you can spend the night." <Hold that thought! > "I mean, you've been drinking --" for some reason, he felt that he had to explain himself. 

"If it's no problem." 

"No problem, so -- you can use my bed if --" 

"The couch will do just fine," Mulder said, cutting him off, though almost tempted to take him up on the offer. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure." 

* * *

Krycek didn't get any sleep at all that night. Knowing that Fox Mulder was sleeping on his couch caused his heart to speed up and keep him awake. How many times had he cursed himself for letting himself have feelings for a "straight" guy? He just hadn't been able to stop those feelings. 

But sometimes, it felt as though his feelings were answered. Like last night. He had felt Mulder's gaze rest on him for quite a while, and sometimes, it felt very much like magic. Even if they were good friends, he hadn't told Mulder about his homosexuality; he was afraid. 

Mulder woke up as Krycek walked past him. Just when he was about to say "good morning," he noticed that Krycek was only wearing a pair of boxers. 

Stunned into silence, he devoured the view with appetite. The man's back exposed well-trained muscles that flexed and glided every time he reached for something. As the sight began to arouse him, he knew he had lost control over his reactions as many times before. 

Taking control was the hard part. He forced himself to look away from him, and meaningless thought choked his imagination as his voice betrayed him. 

"You're up early." 

At the sound of the voice, Krycek nearly jumped. He hadn't been prepared for it. Turning around, he had to gasp. The man was even sexier with that sleepy look. 

"Good morning" was all he could manage to come up with. "I hoped you slept well." 

"Yeah, it's a very comfortable couch." 

Krycek laughed. 

"Now that's a new one." 

Mulder got up and stretched, ruffling his hair as he did so. 

"Are you hungry?" 

"I know my way around your kitchen, don't worry," Mulder said with a smile. 

"I'm not worried. I just thought you might want to use the shower first and while you're showering, I can make some breakfast." 

"Sounds great." 

Mulder shuffled to the bathroom, not aware of Krycek's gaze following. 

The shower felt great. As the soap and warm water coursed down his skin, however, images of Krycek flooded his mind. <No! Not now> He whined quietly, turning off the warm water and twisting the cold-water knob at the same time. As the cold water fell down over him, he shivered. <What we've got to do,> he mused as he gasped at the sensation of the icy water hitting his chest. 

Coming back out, this time fully dressed; he smelled the scent of newly brewed coffee. Grabbing a mug, he accidentally bumped into Krycek, momentarily bringing to mind the erotic images that had occupied his shower. Mumbling something about being sorry, he hoped that Krycek wouldn't notice the blush he could feel spreading across his cheeks. 

To occupy his mind with something else, he decided to give Scully a call. 

As Krycek made his way to the bathroom, a sting of jealousy came over him as he overheard Mulder talk to Scully. <Life's a bitch sometimes. >

* * *

Coming out from Skinner's office, Mulder and Scully were both engrossed in a discussion about the profile that De Luca had presented to the group. Mulder had objected to almost everything, knowing the profile hadn't been the agent's own. If nothing else, his insistent questioning had raised some red flags. 

They were still engaged in their discussion on their way to the elevator when someone behind them interrupted them. 

"Excuse me, Mulder?" 

Scully turned around, meeting Alex Krycek's eyes. 

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, his gaze shifting from one to the other. 

"Don't worry," Mulder assured him. "You weren't. What's up?" 

"You forgot your key when you left this morning." 

Her jaw dropped as he handed Mulder a set of keys. <What was that about Mulder leaving 'this morning'? > A picture materialized in front of her mind, though it didn't stay long, since it had to leave room for her burgeoning jealousy. She wanted so much to ask him what he had been doing at Krycek's place that millions of questions started to pop up. Had he spent the night? Were they closer than she had realized? Why did that make her so extremely jealous? 

* * *

"Mulder!" 

"Hi, it's me." 

"Krycek, what's on your mind?" 

"I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tonight?" he asked. He sounded a little odd Mulder mused. 

"Sure. Just tell me when." 

"I was thinking around six, if that's okay with you." 

"Yeah, that's great, I should be ready by then. Should I bring anything?" 

"Uh, actually, I was thinking that you could ask Scully if she wants to come too." 

Mulder was struck by a surprised silence. He wanted him to ask Scully to join them? 

"If that's not a problem," Krycek continued, noting all too well the silence on the other end of the line. 

"No, not at all," he managed. "I'll tell her when she comes back." 

"See you tonight then." 

Mulder kept staring out into space as he slowly replaced put the phone down. What the hell was this about? 

* * *

She had been surprised that they'd asked her to join them. Knowing that they spend a lot of time together, she never thought she would be included. 

Standing before Krycek's door, she felt a little awkward. Before she had left her apartment, she must have changed nearly a dozen times, and she still didn't know if her choice had been right. 

How bad could it be? She rang the doorbell. 

"Hi, Scully," Krycek smiled, stepping aside to let her in. 

He wore jeans, same as she was; they were even as tight as hers, which did strange, unfamiliar, attractive things to her. To cover his own upper body, he had on a simple T-shirt that he was aware shaped his body perfectly. At his waistline was wrapped a towel, on which he now wiped his hands. 

"Let me take your coat," he offered, making sure he didn't mess it up. 

"Thanks," she said, smiling as she let him. 

His hands brushed her sides and she felt herself shiver from delight by the simple act. Her cheeks flushed and suddenly she felt warm. Embarrassed by her reaction and determined to keep her cool, she hurried to speak. 

"You're cooking?" 

"Yeah. Actually, I love to cook." 

Scully arched a brow, impressed. Who would have known? 

"Need any help?" 

"If you don't mind. Know how to do a salad?" 

"I've mastered that," she said as she followed him into the kitchen. 

Finding herself shamelessly admiring his butt, she didn't hear him speak. He turned around, thinking she hadn't caught up with him yet, but she was right there behind him. Startled, he met her eyes, waiting for her to say something. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said with a little cough, hoping her face didn't match her hair too much." Did you say something?" 

He flashed her another one of those dazzling smiles of his and turned to open the fridge. 

"I was just wondering if you know how to do a 'Greek salad,' " he explained, wondering where her head was at today. "That's if you don't have any other ideas, I mean, there's nothing wrong with being creative, right?" 

"No, it's fine, I'll stick to the Greek version. Creativity was never my strong suit." 

With an amused nod, he pulled out a plastic container of ingredients from the crisper and put it on the sink next to a chopping board. 

"There," he told her. "Do you want an apron or something?" 

"No, thanks," she said as she peered into the container. This guy really did have a sense for perfection. Everything was so neat. 

Krycek walked back to the stove, checking in a pot. She watched him from the corner of her eye as she started preparing the salad. Was it just her, or was there something between them? In some strange way, she always felt so relaxed around him, so carefree. Smiling to herself, she noted how he was spicing the concoction, wondering what it would take for her to ever find someone like him. 

"Seems like Mulder's running late," he observed, looking at the watch. 

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," she said, glancing at him. 

He muffled a laugh. 

"He promised he'd be on time." 

"Doesn't he always?" she said with a grin. 

"He'll call if he...." they both trailed off, realizing that they had spoken in unison. 

Quiet for a while, they tried hard not to look at each other, fighting not to give into it. Scully finished tossing the salad and cleaned out the sink as Krycek started working on the entree. After she was finished, Scully came up beside him. 

"Smells good," she said, leaning forward and sniffing at the sizzling meat. "You really do know what you're doing." 

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said with a smile, the feel of her body so close to his making him almost dizzy. "Do you want to taste the gravy, see if it needs more seasoning?" 

"Sure." 

He gave her a spoon, which she dipped in the gravy. The way he kept watching her made her nervous and when she was about to put the spoon into her mouth, she managed to drip some gravy on her sweater, just above her breast, splashing a little on her exposed skin as well. Krycek tried to catch it before it landed, in the process accidentally placing his hand on her breast. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said with a blush, snatching his hand off. "I'll get that for you." 

Tearing off a square of paper towel, he started to blot the gravy from her skin and her sweater, where it was starting to stain. Her flesh turned into goosebumps at his touch. 

Mulder had let himself in. He figured Krycek was still in the kitchen working on the dinner. Some part of him hoped that Scully hadn't arrived yet. This evening would get interesting. Every time he saw them together, he felt as if his heart would burst. The feelings they provoked in him scared him more than he could explain. When he met one of them, he thought he knew where he stood, whom he wanted, but seeing them together always threw him into uncertainty. 

He stepped into the kitchen just as Krycek was wiping Scully's cleavage. He couldn't help but notice the tension between them and their flustered expressions. Coughing in an attempt to let them know he was there, he saw Krycek withdraw his hand hastily, as if he had burnt himself, his cheeks reddening. Scully looked just as emba. 

"Are you sexually harassing my partner?" Mulder said, the humor in his voice clearly evident. 

"Come on in, Mulder," Krycek said with a smile, fighting the awkward feeling. 

" I used my key, I hope you don't mind," he said, walking into the kitchen. 

<My key? > Scully reacted strongly to the fact that Mulder had his own key to Krycek's apartment. Sure, he had the key to hers but that was different, they were partners; it was convenient. 

"What were you doing?" Mulder asked, looking at Scully, his eyebrows slightly raised. 

"Uh, I spilled some gravy on me," she explained, glancing at Krycek. 

A silence filled the room. 

"Do you want to borrow a T-shirt or something?" Krycek offered, still a little at unease. 

"Yes, please," she said. "That would be great." 

"I'll be right back," he said as he left the kitchen, leaving the two of them. 

She wished he would stop looking like that; it made her nervous. It was an intense look she couldn't interpret. Usually she had some kind of an idea of what was going on inside his head, but now she found herself clueless. 

"Did you follow up that lead?" she asked to break the silence. 

He shook his head and continued to study her. She looked different. It was if she were another Scully from the one he saw every day. Her clothes, for one. Ordinarily, she wore a jacket over the sweater -- and come to think of it, the sweater had never looked quite as tight before -- and he couldn't remember her wearing such tight jeans, even out in the field. Even her face and hair seemed different -- not that she wasn't always beautiful, but now she looked ... amazing. 

Krycek returned with a T-shirt in hand, and Scully was glad to be able to get away for a while to change. Her hormones were at war and she didn't know what she was feeling anymore. They both had such a strong effect on her. 

She went in to the bathroom to change. Before pulling it over her head she found herself brining the soft material to her face, taking a deep breath. It smelled wonderful, just like Krycek did... she held that thought. <Already aware of how he smells like, are we? > She couldn't keep from smiling, he did smell wonderful. 

* * *

Dinner went by smoothly. She had never seen Mulder so relaxed before, so carefree. It was obvious that he enjoyed Krycek's company and frankly, she didn't blame him one bit. 

Krycek tried to keep himself from looking at them to intensely. It hadn't occurred to him how it would affect him to see her wearing his clothes. The white T-shirt was too big, obviously, but he was totally enchanted of the image it made on her body. It was a much bigger turn on than her tight sweater had been. 

"Scully, you do realize that we've postponed about three weeks of paperwork," Mulder smiled and gave her that "I really really don't feel like doing them" look. 

"Yes, I do," she smiled back. "And we have to grab in to them soon." 

He offered her a weak smile in return; knowing it wouldn't get him anywhere. 

"Don't talk about paper work, please," Krycek moaned in pain. "I have a couple of piles too." 

Mulder put his arm behind the back of Scully's chair and leaned in on her with a charming smile. Her heart skipped a beat. 

"Luckily for me, I have Scully to do that for me," he informed Krycek, who seemed doubtful. 

And for good reason. "In your dreams, Mulder," she shot at him, noting Krycek's grin widen. "But I do have a suggestion, though." 

"Give them to Pendrell?" he deadpanned and leaned back in his chair. 

" No," she said with a sigh, and glared at him. 

"He would if you asked him," he teased and smiled at Krycek. 

Scully turned to Krycek, ignoring Mulder's comment. 

"My family has a vacation cabin that is empty for a couple of months. If you'd like, we can go up there and make a weekend out of it and get that paperwork out of the way." 

"Sounds good," Krycek said and raised his glass. 

"Why not," Mulder agreed, a little surprised over her suggestion but not having much against it. 

"Then it's set," she said, asking her self what the hell she was doing. 

* * *

There was a soft knock on the office door and the two agents looked up. 

"Hi, Krycek," Mulder said, smiling, as he watched the younger agent enter the room. "How can I help you?" 

Krycek smiled at Scully, who couldn't tear her eyes away from him as he walked up to Mulder. They both looked so great, so - she'd better go back to her reading. 

"Skinner just told me that I could be included in a stakeout team tomorrow night," he said with a grin, happy to get away from the surveillance for a while. "That is, if I can get another agent to go with me." 

Mulder looked up at him, understanding the unspoken question. He could hear Scully shift in her chair. 

"Uh, I would, but I can't," he confessed, feeling guilty about it. "I have ... Uh, plans," not wanting to tell neither of them that he had to go see his mother. 

Krycek looked disappointed but tried not to show it. Even if he had been available to go, he knew that it would have been hard for him to go like that with a slew of other agents. 

"Well, maybe I can get someone else," he tried, knowing that there wasn't anyone who would want to go with him. 

Mulder bit his lower lip, understanding. Scully flipped a page. 

"But maybe --" he turned around. "Scully? What are you doing tomorrow night?" 

"Nothing special," she replied, knowing what he was about to ask, the mere thought making her heart pound. 

"So are you interested?" he asked, wanting to hit him self for putting them together like that. 

"I don't see why not." She looked over at Krycek, who was giving her that intense look again. 

"Are you sure?" Krycek persisted, glad that Mulder had asked her. He would never have had the guts to do so himself. 

"Yeah, just fill me in on the details, and I'll be there," she said with a nod, doing a good job of sounding casual. 

"I could come down later and fill you in -- around six?" 

"Well, I'm leaving at four." She tried to think of another solution. 

"Maybe I could drop by your apartment -- if it's no problem, that is," he suggested, hoping she wouldn't be offended. 

"No, it's fine. That would be great," she said with a smile, feeling how Mulder was listening intently to every word they spoke. 

"Great, then I guess I'll see you." He turned to Mulder. "Bye, Mulder!" 

Mulder looked up and gave him a quick nod, fighting to hide his jealousy. What the hell had he been thinking of, setting the two of them up like that? And now they were going to meet at Scully's apartment, alone. Clenching his jaws, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Scully smile. 

* * *

"Damn," she mumbled under her breath as the doorbell rang 

She hadn't decided on what to wear yet and as it was at the moment, she was only half wearing the sweater she had last decided to wear. Tugging it down over her breasts and stomach, she stole one quick look in the mirror before opening the door. 

<God he's beautiful>

"Come in." 

He regarded her carefully as he stepped inside and she found herself staring back at him. They smiled at each other and she could feel her face flush. 

"Have a seat," she offered quickly; afraid he would hear in her voice exactly how glad she was to see him. "Do you want some coffee or anything?" 

"No, thank you," he smiled, unable to stop looking at her. "I have to get home to grab something to eat after we're done." 

She saw her chance. 

"Uh, I was going to order some takeout. If you want to, you can eat with me." She trailed off, not knowing if she had made a fool out of herself. "I mean, if this is going to take some time, there's nothing worse than working on an empty stomach." 

"If you don't mind," he nodded, even so knowing that the briefing wouldn't take that long. 

"No problem," she assured and moved over to grab the phone. "What do you prefer? Italian? Chinese?" 

"Whatever you're having." 

She ordered and joined him on the couch. It hadn't escaped her attention that he was studying her closely and that the look on his face wasn't completely innocent as he did. Confused, she tried to ignore it as they started going over the basics. 

An hour later, they were well over discussing the case. The plates lay empty on the table in front of them and the sound of their voices filled the room. Every now and then, they found themselves locked into each other's gazes. 

"So, how come you don't believe?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side. 

<How can he be this cute? >

"I don't really know," she mumbled and ran a finger along her thigh. "There is my science. And then maybe I'm afraid of the ramifications." 

"And then there is more." 

It was more of a statement than a question and she looked up at him, amazed of how well he could read her. 

"Yes, then there is more," she said slowly, nodding. "But I can't define it. Sometimes it feels like I'm being skeptical just to prove a point, which is silly, because I know when I'm right. It's just that --" she shrugged. 

"Mulder's outrageous stories sometimes happens to be right," he observed, knowing what she meant. "And your science can't prove it." 

"Yeah," she smiled, realizing he really did know what she was feeling. "And that just happens a lot, doesn't it?" 

He chuckled. It was so nice to talk to someone who didn't have a negative opinion about Mulder. Someone who actually liked him and knew his true nature. He only wondered in which way she liked him and if the feelings were mutual. Not that he could blame either of them. 

"I don't understand," he began, seeking her attention. "How everybody can put him down like they do. He's so -- I don't really get it." 

Scully nodded. She knew his frustration. 

"I think they realize he has a great mind -- that they think he's wasting. I think it scares them," she spoke very softly. "That is part of his strength." 

"Yeah." Krycek looked dreamy. "I guess so." 

Not being aware of it, Scully mirrored his look, the thought of Mulder making her warm inside. 

* * *

With the stakeout ahead of them, Scully and Krycek drove up to the nightclub, noting that the place was already crawling with police cars and unmarked, most likely FBI, cars. They looked at each other, a little surprised. 

"Looks like they've already caught him," Krycek said, pulling over. "We should check it out." 

They got out of the car and walked up to a fellow agent, who was talking loudly with one of the policemen. 

"I'm Agent Krycek," he waved his badge. "This is Agent Scully, we were supposed to do a stakeout here but it seems as if you're done." 

"Yeah, we just need to get all these fucking police cars out of here. Someone called 911 as our men caught Fjord in the middle of the dealing," the agent told them, giving Scully some extra attention. "Agent Scully?" he checked again. "Aren't you 'Spooky's' partner?" 

"I usually work with Agent Mulder." She tried not to sound to offended on his behalf. "Will you be needing us anymore?" 

"No," he said, turning back to Krycek. "You're free to go." 

Krycek smiled at Scully. The nightclub was closing and the people started moving over to the one at the other side of the road. It was smaller and the music played loud out in the street; it looked like a place to be. The cars were starting to leave, and the sound of voices outside on the street were getting dimmer. 

"You know if you don't feel like going home, we could always take a look inside," he suggested with caution. "If you feel up for it." 

She turned to look at the entrance to the nightclub. It looked all right. 

"Sure, why not," she said, surprised by herself. It wasn't every day she went out to a nightclub just like that, even if she had intended on being part of a stakeout. 

The place was dark and smoky and they moved right over to the bar. Ordering two drinks, Krycek hoped that he wasn't pushing his luck. It wasn't his intention to get her out there and get her drunk. But Scully was a big girl; she could probably take care of herself pretty well. 

After two drinks, Scully started feeling a little tipsy. Not too much, but enough for her to be aware that she had been pouring alcohol down her throat. She looked at him and smiled inside. He was so good-looking. Her heart skipped a beat as he met her gaze, letting it linger. She was starting to feel a little bolder. 

"You want another drink?" he asked, draining the last of his. 

"Uh, no thanks," she said, shaking her head. "But you know what? I just need to go to the ladies' room and then maybe we could do some tequila. What do you say?" 

"Hey, that's a great idea," he said with a grin, not having been aware of the wild side of Dana Scully. <Tequila, I'll say> "I'll order." 

"Yeah, go ahead, I'll be right back." 

She hadn't been away for three minutes when his cellular phone rang. 

"Hi, it's me." 

"Mulder!" he wasn't aware that he was raising his voice. 

"Where are you?" 

"Oh, they'd already caught the guy, so we went into the club to have a drink instead. Where are you?" 

"Is Scully there too?" 

"Yeah, she just went to the ladies' room. ... Uh, wait a minute," he said as he saw their tequilas coming. "No, I just ordered two of those," he told the bartender. 

"No, you wanted four," the bartender insisted. 

"No, I just ordered two tequilas, I know I did." 

"Wow! You're plying my partner with tequilas?" 

"Actually, it was her idea. ... No, no, I don't want those two. Thank God, Scully, help me out here." 

"What?" she sat down next to him. 

"I didn't order four tequilas, make him understand that." 

"Well, we'll just save those for later," she suggested, flashing the bartender a smile. 

"What now?" Mulder wanted to know. 

"What? Oh, we're taking all, or Scully's taking all of the extra drinks, or whatever." 

"Who's that?" Scully inquired as she promptly started in on her first. She was going to be flying without a plane very, very soon. 

"Mulder." 

"Yeah?" 

"No, I just told Scully ... what did you want, by the way?" 

"Uh, I just wanted to see how things were going," he managed, feeling the jealousy taking over. "I have to go now. Tell Scully hi." 

"You don't want to talk to her?" 

"No, just tell her I said hi." 

"OK." He hung up and turned to Scully. "Mulder says hi." 

"Where was he?" 

"He actually didn't say," he said, realizing it was a little odd. He was sure he had asked. 

"Was it something special?" 

"Uh, no." Krycek sounded a little confused. "He, he just wanted to know how it was going." 

Their eyes met and held, the same thought crossing their minds. In the moment of truth, both chickened out. Scully broke first. 

"So, tequila?" 

"Yes, ma'am." 

After a couple, Scully knew that she had had enough. She wasn't drunk, like really drunk, just a little tipsy -- the Scullys were an alcohol-resistant lot -- but she felt how she was able to let go some. Krycek was being a great company and it felt almost too easy for her to relax with him. So when he asked her to dance, she couldn't find any other answer than yes. 

He smelled good, too good. As he pulled her closer she realized that she never had been this close to Mulder, and a part of her felt as though she were betraying him. That was ridiculous -- they weren't together and she had all the right in the world to go out and dance with whoever she felt like. Maybe that just didn't include Mulder's former partner and close friend. <Well, I can't leave him standing here, now can I? >

Her small body fit perfectly in his arms, and he enjoyed the feel of her against him. This was the kind of feeling he had been fighting so desperately. It was bad enough that he had them for Mulder, but to yearn for Scully as well was just plain stupid. Maybe this had been a bad idea. 

The dance ended and they decided to take a taxi home, exchanging few words on the way. It wasn't awkward; they both just needed to get some space. Soon they would be spending time alone, all three of them. If they weren't careful, the feelings could backfire, blow up in their faces and the consequences would be too much to even consider. 

"Good night." Scully smiled up at him, the alcohol still in her system. "I'll call you ... I mean, I'll see you Monday." 

He smiled and nodded. 

When she got into her apartment, she leaned heavily against the door and took a deep breath. She had been so close to telling him something... Anything. It was probably the liquor. Then again, maybe not. <Pull yourself together. > She closed her eyes and pictured him before her, the image changing back and forward between him and Mulder. <You better behave now, Dana Katherine, you better behave. >

* * *

A couple of days later. 

Now, she lay on the fur, in front of the fire, the men on either side of her, and she was very glad she hadn't behaved. It was all too overwhelming; she still hadn't been able to come to grips with it yet. 

This was so strange, but she was actually happy. 

Mulder had fallen asleep, his face nuzzled against her neck. She could feel his soft breathing against her skin. Krycek, however, lay awake, staring at the fire, his mind deep in thought. It would take some time getting used to this for all of them, but she had a feeling they would make it. Smiling widely, she thought back a couple of hours, the memory clear enough to give her that tingling feeling back. 

The following days after their talk had felt very strange for all three of them. Sometimes it had been awkward, while at other times they were just talking as if things had always been as they were. All they could do was to wait until the snow let up and let them leave. And in the meantime, they had food -- and time. Time to get to know each other better, time to think about how they felt. 

They hadn't been physically intimate yet with each other, none of them. It was frustrating, but no one wanted to be the one who broke the ice. As the time closed in on them, this became more of a tension than the thought of being together. 

"Skinner must think we're dead," Scully mused. "You've never taken a vacation voluntarily, Mulder, so either you're dead or up to no good." 

"I think he'd just be relieved not to have us around for a while," Mulder shot back. 

Scully sighed and rolled her eyes. She could feel him looking at her like _that_ again, and it made her warm all over. Looking around the room, she realized that Krycek was nowhere to be seen. 

She looked back at Mulder; his eyes were dark and tempting, very tempting. Suddenly, her breath seemed to get caught in her throat, her head pounding. He was getting closer. 

Was it just him, or did the temperature rise with the speed of light? She looked as though she were scared, yet daring him to get closer. So he did. Little by little, until he could feel the heat radiating from her face and body. He was careful not to hurt her with his weight as he reached forward to touch her cheek with his index finger. She held her breath, feeling him slip one arm under her to slide her down into a more comfortable position. Why was she feeling so dizzy? 

"Can I kiss you now?" he whispered, close to her now. 

The sensation of his body against hers left her speechless. All she could do was nod, the mere thought of having Fox Mulder kiss her sent a flood of arousing thoughts to her mind. 

He moved the last inch to feel her lips, warm and soft. First just feeling them against his satisfied him, knowing he was allowed, knowing that she was just as excited about this as he was, but in time he realized it wasn't enough. The sweet taste of her, the scent she indulged, the way she felt against him, everything about the moment woke his body. Meeting her tongue with his, he felt the need to hold her tighter, knowing that she could feel his erection against her, the very notion that it was okay, driving him further. 

Krycek came back from his shower to find them on the couch. At first, he felt as if he were imposing on their privacy, but before he had time to realize that he hadn't, Mulder sensed his presence and looked up. Understanding Krycek's dilemma, he wanted him to know that it was all right, hoping that Scully really was up to this. He would never push her. 

"Come over here, Alex," he pleaded, forcing his body away from Scully's. 

Following suit, Scully turned around to offer Krycek a smile. He looked so left out, as if he thought he wasn't welcome. 

"Come on," she said with a smile, reaching out toward him. 

Wondering if they could hear his heart pounding, Krycek slowly moved to the couch. Scully took his hand and led him down onto the couch. She was glad to finally be able to break the ice, whatever that was left of it in that room. 

Mulder started nuzzling her neck, his arms finding their way around her waist, taking a firm grip around her. She moaned and tilted her head back against his shoulder. He was having direct eye contact with Krycek all the while, giving him an encouraging smile. 

In Mulder's arms, she could feel how in front of her, Krycek leaned forward and put his lips on her throat, placing his hands on top of Mulder's arms as he moved up, past her chin. She was in heaven. 

Mulder started nibbling at her ear, his lips working magic. He put his mouth close against her ear, his breath uneven, teasing her before he spoke. 

"Do you want us to make love to you, Scully?" he whispered hoarsely, hearing a low moan from the back of her throat, but no actual answer. 

She was fully dressed, but totally aroused. It was a sensation that spread through her entire body, leaving her unable to speak. 

"Just tell us if you feel uncomfortable and if you want to stop," he told her. "We won't do anything you're not up to." 

Amazed that she managed to nod, she closed her eyes and felt her body relaxing. Krycek moved away from her for a while and she was swept up in Mulder's arms. 

He took a couple of steps to place her on the fur in front of the fire, loving the color the fire created on her soft skin. Scully opened her eyes, finding on each side of her, the two men she was ready to give her body to. And she wasn't scared. 

Mulder looked at Krycek, forcing his gaze from Scully. They knew she was watching them. Reaching out to place his hand under the line of Krycek's jaw, he could hear Scully draw her breath. Was she disgusted? Both men shifted their gaze toward her and they saw the desire there. Still a little unsure, Mulder arched a brow at her. She smiled and tried to control her breathing. 

"What are you waiting for?" she asked. 

"Are you sure you're not..." Mulder began, not wanting her to say that just to please them. 

"... Yes," she hissed the excitement evident in her voice. "Enough with the torture." 

Surprised and relieved, Mulder turned back to Krycek, for the first time feeling absolutely sure about kissing another man. It meant so much to him that she accepted it and that she was turned on by it he could never have dreamed. 

As she watched their lips meet, she felt the heat spread between her legs again. It was amazing how it affected her to see them like that. She had never given it much thought, never felt the need. Now it was filling her mind, stealing all the space she could lend out that wasn't caught up in the moment. Disappointment hit her when they stopped but was soon replaced with other feelings as they turned to look at her again. 

It didn't take long for them to strip her. Every inch of her, except those who most wanted attention, were blessed with the feel of lips or a tongue. Then she found herself lying there, naked before them, exposed. It was the most vulnerable she had ever been and yet she felt perfectly safe. 

<God, she's beautiful. > Mulder couldn't stop staring at her. Her eyes were closed again, her taut nipples revealing her feelings. Gracing Krycek with a brief glance, he found him staring at her as well. He couldn't blame him. 

She slowly opened her eyes. They were both studying her body, in detail. Desirous for a touch, she tried to get someone to pay her attention, shifting slowly, just to show what she wanted. 

Mulder reacted first, running a hand from her shoulder, down by the side of her breast and all the way down to her thigh -- but still not where she wanted him to caress. Krycek followed suit by placing his lips on the tip of her other shoulder, trailing a row of kisses up to her neck. 

Mulder moved away from her for a moment to take his shirt off. In the meantime, he watched Krycek smooth his hand down to her breast, teasing the nipple with his fingers. Scully moaned and couldn't keep herself from urging her body against his hand. When Mulder was ready to give her attention again, Krycek let him take over his activity so he could remove his shirt as well. 

Two warm lips closed around her nipple and Scully thought she would explode from the pleasure. He moved his hand down to her abdomen, just above the triangle of red hair, feeling how she tried not to move in his direction. 

When Krycek had removed his own shirt, he went to Mulder's side, wanting to feel his body against his own. He ran his hands down the hard muscles of his chest and pressed his erection against Mulder's ass through both their jeans. Mulder tilted back his head searching for his lips, feeling the other man nudge gently at his own all the while touching his front. They played like this for a while, very much aware of the fact that Scully was watching them intensely, enjoying what she saw. Teasing Krycek's erection by rubbing his ass gently against him, he could hear his reward against his lips deepening the kiss a little. Not wanting to take that any further, Krycek moved away shortly after to give Scully some attention again. He placed himself between her legs, parting them gently. First he blew out a gentle breeze in her most sensitive area, hearing her moan as her body reacted. Looking up at Mulder, he noticed that he was watching him, smiling, the desire in his eyes. Scully grew restless under them and both men went back to attending to her body. 

Finally, Krycek lowered his face, letting his tongue dance gently over her clitoris. Scully's breathing was speeding up and she urged her body up toward him, only to learn that he wanted to be in control. He tasted her again, a little longer, but still just using the tip of his tongue, teasing her. 

She moaned again, louder, and dug her fingers into Mulder's hair, as she couldn't reach Krycek. Mulder smiled and moved up to her face not getting any contact with the rest of her body. He kissed her parted lips, letting his tongue make love to her mouth. She grabbed hold of his head, feeling how Krycek started licking her in just the right way. Unaware of it, Scully was moaning violently into Mulder's mouth, wrapping her legs around Krycek's body as she felt how she was nearing the edge. Mulder let his hand go down to tease her nipple pleased over the reaction. She was at once very aware of what was going on with her body the very thought of it sent her head spinning. They both knew exactly how to touch her and the consciousness of that hey were in fact the ones who were making her feel this way, both of them, made the final touch. With a small squeeze of her hands that were wrapped around Mulder's neck, she came, moaning her pleasure in to Mulder's mouth. 

Afterward, she loosened her grip around the both men, feeling how all the strength had left her body and left her limp. Amazing. 

Mulder moved over to Krycek, wanting to taste Scully on his lips, taking as much as he could. Krycek moved his hands to work on Mulder's jeans, both men looking at each other in agreement. They wouldn't go all the way with each other this time; that would be too much for her, and them. Instead, they stripped each other's jeans and boxers, admiring each other's bodies. Mulder smoothed his hands on Krycek's shoulders, moving down his arms, and Krycek leaned forward to meet the other man in a kiss. 

Scully was able to move again and had shifted to her side, watching them play their game. Still shaken from her own orgasm, she watched the two beautiful men and the sight of their bodies. Because they were, truly, beautiful. 

They pressed their erections together, the feel overwhelming. Krycek moved one hand in between, stroking the shaft of Mulder's rock-hard cock and was rewarded with a low moan. He kissed down Mulder's chest until he reached down to the straining erection. First, he stroked it and moved a hand down to touch his balls, knowing just what torture this was from personal experience. 

Mulder begged for more by pressing his body against Krycek's hand, surprised to get the response in the other man's mouth. When he had adjusted to what had happened, he started trusting his cock into the other man's mouth, down his throat. It was heaven and he increased the pace, at the same time grabbing hold of Krycek's hair. 

After a while, he realized that this was going to end rapidly if he didn't stop. Gathering as much self-discipline as he could, Mulder slid out of Krycek's mouth, pulling him up in another breathtaking kiss. 

She could hardly breath. When Krycek had started going down on him, she had prepared herself for what was about to happen. Still, as she watched him take him in to his mouth she had lost all notions of time and space. Her body aroused once more she wanted to touch her self but found that she was unable to make the slightest move. 

"Hey, guys," she barely spoke, in need of more attention. "No offense, that was beautiful, but --" 

Krycek smiled and moved over to her. He rolled her over onto her back and was about to start arousing her again when he realized she was still wet. Letting one finger enter her at the same time as he moved his other hand up to her face, he gave her a questioning look. 

"I watched you two," she explained with a smile. 

Mulder was filled with a warm feeling of completeness. Everything felt so right, so natural. Now she lay there, telling them that watching Krycek giving him a blow-job had turned her on. He felt like hugging her. That woman was just too amazing, she never had let him down in anything and he wondered how that still could surprise him. 

Krycek smiled and kissed her, the finger working slowly inside her moist center. She reached down to touch him, moving her body in pace with his finger for a while. When she had been stroking his hardness long enough, she removed his hand and nodded to show that she was ready. He moved her legs up over her head and entered her body, slowly. She inhaled sharply. 

"Are you okay?" he asked her, afraid he'd hurt her. 

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she said, smiling, and kissed his cheek. "But I have a feeling we both can feel better." 

Getting the hint, he started moving inside of her, increasing the pace at her request. She threw her head back and released a low moan. He knew what he was doing. 

Mulder watched them with astonishment. He couldn't remember ever having seen something this beautiful as the two of them, making love. Krycek grabbed her waist and pulled her closer so that he could control the speed easier and Scully bucked against him, her body amazing in the glow from the fire. 

She reached up to place her hand behind his neck, showing him she wanted to tell him something. He leaned down and met her eyes close. 

"Let Mulder give it to me," she whispered hoarsely. "Just let it go." 

Increasing his speed, he thrust again and again, closer and closer to the edge, until he felt his erection explode inside her, filling her. It took a little while before he could manage to leave her body. 

"Mulder," she said, reaching out, inviting him over. 

He came over, starting to kiss up from her feet and along her leg. The feel of his warm hot lips made her shiver and he finally came to rest between her legs, spreading them wide to gain access with his tongue. He tasted her juice combined with Krycek's, hoping he would never forget it. 

Suddenly, he felt her hands grab hold of his hair, prompting him to get up. Obeying, he moved up to kiss those beautiful lips, knowing that she was longing to feel him inside of her. He was too. 

"Do you want me?" he dared her, his breathing uneven. 

"Badly," she said with a smile, trailing her hands down his back. 

And just as Krycek had he entered her slowly, one hand supporting her buttocks to keep in control. She felt how good he felt when he filled her, just as Krycek had done, and as he started moving inside her, she was relieved that she couldn't discern that one of them were better than the other. That didn't exactly come as a surprise to her. 

Now it was Krycek's turn to watch them, and he devoured every minute of it. This was as new for them as it was for him and that reassured him. He realized then that it didn't hurt at all to see them make love. It made him warm with love for both of them. 

Mulder felt her getting closer, giving all that he had left to give, pushing her over the edge. He followed her shortly after, knowing by the feel of her shudder that he had satisfied her. He collapsed on top of her, letting the strength come back to his body again slowly. 

Later, he rolled to lay at her side, snuggling close to her. Krycek moved some quilts from the couch and came to lay on the other side of her, all three close together. 

She moved closer to Krycek, feeling how Mulder followed her in his sleep. Krycek searched her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back and kissed his back. This would be all right, it actually would. 

The End 

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Ocean Summers and Sage ONeil 


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